Minister On Plans For Cost Of Living Summit
The Ministry will convene a Cost-of-Living Summit and in preparation, the “Ministry is undertaking a two-fold national engagement exercise: a Public Survey and Stakeholder Consultations,” Minister of Home Affairs Alexa Lightbourne said in the House of Assembly today [March 28].
The Minister said, “These data-driven consultations will not only inform the agenda for the Summit but will also form the backbone of a comprehensive Cost of Living Report to be tabled following the event. This report will assess the effectiveness of current initiatives, identify gaps, and provide concrete, actionable recommendations for Cabinet consideration—including potential amendments to the Regulatory Authority Act to extend oversight powers across both regulated and unregulated markets.
“The people of Bermuda deserve to see progress on this issue—not just promises. They deserve transparency, urgency, and real change. The Ministry of Home Affairs is determined to deliver on that promise. We look forward to working in partnership with all stakeholders to deliver a more affordable Bermuda for all.”
The Minister’s full statement follows below:
Mr. Speaker, In our recent Throne Speech, the Bermuda Government firmly took another step forward in our mission to ease the burden of rising costs in Bermuda.
For too long, Bermudians have shouldered the weight of increasing prices—on food, housing, electricity, and everyday essentials. These costs have made it harder for families to make ends meet, and harder still for seniors to live with dignity and security in their later years.
The 2025 Throne Speech reaffirms this Government’s bold and people-centred vision—one that responds to the everyday realities of our people and puts them first.
Mr. Speaker, this vision includes:
- Supporting Bermudians at every stage of life;
- Expanding access to affordable housing;
- Transforming healthcare to make it more accessible and affordable; and
- Lowering the cost of living by taking direct, coordinated action on the cost of food, energy, and essential goods.
Mr. Speaker, In keeping with the commitments laid out in the 2025 Speech from the Throne, I rise today to update this Honourable House on two critical initiatives aimed at addressing one of Bermuda’s most pressing challenges—the cost of living.
Mr. Speaker, We are all acutely aware that the rising cost of living continues to strain household budgets and impact the economic resilience of our families, our seniors, and our businesses.
This Government, through the newly constituted Ministry of Home Affairs, has been tasked with the singular and focused mission to confront this challenge head-on.
Today, I am pleased to announce that the Ministry will convene a Cost-of-Living Summit. This Summit will be the first of its kind—bringing together representatives from across Government, industry, labour, and the community to examine the systemic drivers of Bermuda’s high costs, and to chart a course toward measurable, sustainable relief for our people.
Mr. Speaker, In preparation for this Summit, the Ministry is undertaking a two-fold national engagement exercise: a Public Survey and Stakeholder Consultations. These engagements—already underway—are designed to capture a wide range of insights:
- From the public: real-world experiences of affordability pressures, perceptions of government relief efforts, and public appetite for new measures;
- From the private sector: detailed perspectives on supply chain constraints, cost pass-throughs, wage pressures, and incentives that might support cost reduction.
These data-driven consultations will not only inform the agenda for the Summit but will also form the backbone of a comprehensive Cost of Living Report to be tabled following the event. This report will assess the effectiveness of current initiatives, identify gaps, and provide concrete, actionable recommendations for Cabinet consideration—including potential amendments to the Regulatory Authority Act to extend oversight powers across both regulated and unregulated markets.
Mr. Speaker, Let me be clear: we do not underestimate the complexity of this task. But through rigorous analysis, broad engagement, and decisive policy leadership, this Government is committed to delivering results. The upcoming Summit will represent both a culmination and a beginning—a culmination of listening, analysis, and preparation, and a beginning of targeted, evidence-based action.
Mr. Speaker, The people of Bermuda deserve to see progress on this issue—not just promises. They deserve transparency, urgency, and real change. The Ministry of Home Affairs is determined to deliver on that promise. We look forward to working in partnership with all stakeholders to deliver a more affordable Bermuda for all.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Once again, the government is clueless but is open to hearing your ideas on how to solve problems that taxpayers pay government officials to fix. Yeah, I’ve been there before…
Here we go again , more talk and nothing coming out of it . Lol jokers
Here we go again…”plans’. Stop all this planning to have a meeting to plan nonsense AND GET STUFF DONE.
The PLP are Egomaniacs wanting press even though they haven’t actually done anything. They stand there next to althletes, they stand there there when SP broke ground ( but hadn’t actually done anything) . Please stop giving them press unless there is something tangible.
A Summit! You know what that means. Paid Weekend stay at a resort full of speeches, workshops, team building games, food, drinks, pampering and extra fluff so that the powers that be can take notes and come up with an idea or two that will cost us hundreds of thousands of dollars to present just to never be executed.
Great now let’s see the greed of landlords shopkeepers petrol store businesses realise they only hurt themselves when greed is their motivation.
There are enough resources for all to benefit
A SUMMIT will change to entire economy.
At a summit which sounds all very authoritarian .
The delegates will pose for no more than photo opps.
With excessive taxation across the board, suger tax is on apart of it , the rest is conservatism do more with less both being a double edge sword , as one with the other together we dig our selves in a deeper and deeper hole.
” If it is not broke do no fix it “.
Want more money try to go for a luxury tax, you have got boats covered, but not the luxury of swimming pools which has never been, but yet to be an explored you can tax them and more people will leave the island the rich do not need us we need them .
Crime will increase ,we have 35 vengeance killing already as money buys every thing .
Now we get involved with our strict imigration laws no body if any body can win with that one ., there will always be repercussions .
What is charged out to the rich also hurts to less fortunate.
Land tax for example is the easiest an most rewarding Government tax to collect , they just send out the bill and rake it in .
They did get import duty on housing that slamed that door shut ever thing else as every thing is inter -twined by helping one to help another when conservatism is the key to our survival the other jus in creases prices as you are dealin wit pruden business peope here who creates fear is going bust and puting more people out of work.
Build a house , water up where is the lans? for some one.
pray tell who is going to maintain the. building with charge of taxation and slso to maintenance an insurance a big undertaking for sure . single one family housing try for two units .
We do not need a summit when their proposals will be voted down by hard core politicians with a deaf .
Ressulting only to discover if you can see through the maze .that when you add inflation to taxation becomes a burden to those working class people .
“Charity is a wonder full thing untill the money runs out” .
Who elected a Governmrent in the first place while other showed contempt buy not voting ,that sends a crippeling message we need the suportof every one can you not see that?
Do you not realize that money does not grow on trees unless its bananas . whic we can no export the USA doing want them by law.
Item 1. Reduce the cost of Government. It is far too expensive for the reduced population.
Item 2. Make the Government far more efficient. Abolish the Gaming Commission for example. Use IT properly and cut out so much paper.
Item 3. Agree and accept you cannot control the market price for most goods. Just because you reduce duty doesn’t mean the item anything becomes cheaper to sell. Learn about business, it will open your eyes to things like the cost of spoilage that has to be paid for.
Symposiums are held in every shop, gas station, grocery store, eatery, parking lot, Bus seat in Bermuda daily. So save your time, get off your Butts and talk to and LISTEN to Seniors, families, children who have 3.oo for a chocolate or drink and stands crying because they are short. Yes, many many many Bermudians have been and continue to be well short. While Politicians keep getting the brightest end if the Broom…the HANDLE!!